Tag: review
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Suffocation – Of The Dark Light
What can I say; I’m late to the party on Suffocation. While Death Metal was on the rise in the late 80’s I was onboard with all the bands coming out of Florida and Suffocation wasn’t on my radar. After seeing them for the first time in San Francisco last year as part of the…
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Zealot Cult – Karmenian Crypt
Having seen Limerick’s Zealot Cult play an excellent set at Siege of Limerick, I had high expectations for this three-track EP, and I wasn’t disappointed. The title track shows a strong grasp of song-writing craft; the song is intricate and yet economic at the same time, clever but not cluttered. Most pleasing of all is…
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Contra – Deny Everything
When I get something from a band I’ve never heard of, I usually give it two or three songs to grab me. In this case, Contra grabbed me right away, reminding me of now-defunct local outfit AF Analog (who have since given way to the excellent Warsnake). Like the AF Analog dudes, the guys in…
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Green Meteor – Consumed by a Dying Sun
Now, I’m a sucker for that turn-of-the-century stoner/fuzz rock released on labels like Man’s Ruin and MeteorCity, and I’m kinda getting that vibe from this Philly outfit. Recommended for fans of Acid King and Hawkwind? Sounds like Green Meteor is right up my alley… There is certainly a spacey theme throughout the five tracks that make…
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Alice In Chains – Get Born Again 2×7″ (RSD 2017)
Record Store Day 2017: Exclusive Double 7-inch Set Over the last few years in particular, Record Store Day has really seemed to cater to a “collectible” market over a market wherein fan interest is the focus. That has proven to be a little frustrating. Because of it, record stores get glutted by people one day a…
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The Ditch and the Delta – Hives in Decline
The good thing about being from a town that’s a bit off the metal radar is that it’s harder to lump you in with a buncha other bands. Even if I’ve never heard a particular group before, I have a general idea what to expect when I see a doom band from Maryland or a…
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Drug Honkey – Cloak of Skies
With a name like Drug Honkey, you know it’s gotta be good. Although you were probably expecting some slow southern sludge à la Weedeater or the Wisconsin drug trip of Bongzilla, what we’ve actually got here is effects-laden psychedelic death/doom that comes off as a cross between Winter and Sons of OTIS… and yet, I’m…
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Woodhawk – Beyond The Sun
This was truly a pleasure to review – songs, musicianship, production, everything is as it should be! Woodhawk have taken some very good influences: Mastodon, Thin Lizzy, Budgie, Hawkwind, Monster Magnet and, of course… Kyuss. (I often think of some alternative universe where Kyuss never broke up…a splendid thought indeed!) Not so much in sound,…
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Lung Flower – Effigy
Once more, an independent band puts higher profile bands to shame. Lung Flower play seriously heavy groove metal in the vein of Pantera and Black Label Society. The packaging and art for this CD shows a commendable commitment to the physical product of music, and for that they should be applauded. The production is clear…
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Presumption – ‘From Judgement To The Grave’ and ‘Ancestral Rites’
Presumption – From Judgement To The Grave Doom metal from France… tres bon! Presumption put many bands to shame with a unique sound that, while it draws from the likes of Cathedral and Trouble, builds on these influences. It’s always more authentic to hear a band sing in their native tongue, as on the excellent…